Convenient Voltage Measurement

V mean: the mean (DC) voltage of the waveform over an integer number of periods or the total capture duration if no frequency is detected.

V max and V min the absolute maximum and minimum voltages over the waveform period.

Meter continuously measures these voltages and adjusts BitScope's input ranges and voltage scaling to optimize the measurements and maintain a consistent view of the waveform on the display.

A ground reference can also be displayed, especially useful for waveforms sitting on DC offsets, and probe scaling can be applied when using attenuating oscilloscope probes.

Sophisticated Frequency Detection

While Meter is very easy to use, internally it employs some sophisticated analysis techniques to makes its measurements, especially when measuring waveform periods and frequencies.

Most frequency meters simply count zero crossings per unit time. This works for simple waveforms but fails for many real-world signals, especially in data driven mixed signal environments or when looking at waveforms comprising more than one frequency.

In contrast Meter employs a powerful autocorrelation detector which can lock on to different frequencies in the one signal and even find frequencies in a waveform which is not obviously periodic.

[1] Periodic Psuedo Random Waveform

[2] Waveform Detector Function

For example, waveform [1] is a digitally generated "noise" signal displayed by Meter.

[3] Waveform Frequency

Overlaying the signal is a timing grid showing that it is not noise at all but is instead a periodic waveform.

The detector function [2] peaks indicate the waveform periods and the calculated frequency is reported in the measurement panel [4] as 3.906 kHz with about ±10Hz precision (worst case).

Being digitally generated, this signal also has a much higher (clock) frequency embedded within it and Meter can be used to measure this frequency too.

[4] Embedded Clock Signal

[5] Clock Detector Function

Waveform [4] is from the same signal but now locked on the much higher clock component of the waveform. Again the timing grid overlays the waveform showing the waveform periods and this time the waveform periods clearly visible by inspection.

[6] Clock Frequency

The detector function [5] now looks quite different but its salient feature is the row of peaks indicating the detected waveform periods as before.

The reported frequency this time is 500 kHz with about ±20Hz precision.

From this we can deduce that the data sequence generating the original psuedo random signal comprises 128 steps per period. The same techniques can be applied to measure multiple frequencies in many complex periodic waveforms.

Of course Meter will work just as well with very simple waveforms too !

Advanced User Controls

In normal usage Meter operates without the need for any special setup or configuration but sometimes it may be necessary tweak some settings to optimize your measurements.

The Options menu shown here provide access to these controls when they're needed:

Voltage Range: to set the desired meter scale (mV, V or kV).

Probe Attenuation: to set up Meter for the type of probes you're using.

Waveform Display: provides controls to change how waveforms are displayed.